Tensioning devices of this construction are advantageously used in belt drives for driving various assemblies of an internal combustion engine. The traction mechanism of such a traction mechanism drive is subjected to the alternating loads of the internal combustion engine due to the rotational imbalance produced by the combustion process in the internal combustion engine. For the traction mechanism drive, load conditions can occur that exceed the permissible limiting stress. The alternating loads of the traction mechanism produce deflections of the tensioning arm and these deflections are minimized by means of a damping device.
From DE 102 48 352 A1, a tensioning device is known that comprises a base part connected integrally to a pin that forms, together with a hub of the pivot arm and a sliding bearing, a rotary bearing. On the free end, a support disk that forms an axial stop for the spring-loaded pivot arm is allocated to the pin, wherein a friction disk is inserted between the support disk and the pivot arm. This friction disk forms a damping device for the tensioning device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,707 discloses another tensioning device in which a compression spring constructed as a helical spring produces a tensioning force in the peripheral direction for generating a pre-tensioning force of the traction mechanism. The compressive force acting in the axial direction and produced by the spring means that applies a load on a friction disk is used as a damping device of the tensioning device.